A MAN who was allegedly attacked and racially abused by Chelsea star John Terry's father has denied in court that he "embellished" his story to sell it to the newspapers.

Ted Terry, 59, of Lennox Close, Chafford Hundred, appeared at the Old Bailey this week for the start of a trial into allegations he attacked railway worker Amarjit Talafair on March 22 last year after several hours drinking in the City of London.

Terry was with co-defendants Stephen Niland, 36, and Tudor Musteata, 47, when someone asked Mr Talafair and his friend Scott Faal for a cigarette outside The Windsor pub.

When Mr Talafair and Mr Faal said they did not have cigarettes, they were followed and Terry then alledgedly racially abused Mr Talafair before head-butting him beneath the nose.

Terry, who was wearing a West Ham top at the time, then went on to Fenchurch Street station and allegedly threatened a cleaner called Bakeba Mansuila, who had gone over to the altercation on his way back from the station moments earlier, with a bottle threatening to smash it over his head.

Mr Talafair, who was uninjured in the attack after he managed to "move out of the way", reported the incident to police the following day.

In court on Tuesday, Mr Talafair said he had been aware of John Terry's court case for alleged racial abuse in 2012.

The Chelsea captain was cleared of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, but later faced disciplinary action from the Football Association.

Alexia Power, for the defence, asked Mr Talafair if he had gone to police because Terry was the father of a famous footballer.

Mr Talafair replied: "No, that doesn't bother me. If anyone was racially abusing me I would go to the police."

The complainant said he had come forward because he "didn't want them to get away with it".

Ms Power then asked: "You have embellished this with racial abuse because of who he is, haven't you?

"You are saying this now because you want to sell your story to the papers, aren't you?"

Mr Talafair replied: "No - you can't abuse someone for the colour of their skin and have an argument just because I'm Asian and try and assault me."

Later on Tuesday, Fenchurch Street station cleaner Mansuila told the court he too had been racially abused.

Railway station worker David Bridson, also among those drinking in The Windsor Pub told the court that he saw Terry take a bottle of rum that Mr Mansuila had been drinking from and make racist threats towards him.

Terry denies one count of racially-aggravated common assault and one count of racially-aggravated fear or provocation of violence.

Niland, of Quarles Park Road in Romford, Essex, and Musteata, of Tarves Way in Greenwich, south east London, deny one count each of racially-aggravated fear or provocation of violence.